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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told Republican lawmakers on Saturday that President-elect Trump wants to overhaul conservative policies in a single large bill, three people familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital. He said he supports the.
President Trump wants the House and Senate to introduce such a bill by May, sources said. With the president-elect’s blessing, intra-party friction over how to pass Republican goals next year comes through a process called “reconciliation,” which lawmakers plan to use to pass conservative policies and budget changes. There is a high possibility that the surge will come to an end.
House Republicans met behind closed doors Saturday at Fort McNair in Washington to discuss the plan.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson made it clear to Republicans in a closed session that President-elect Trump wants a single reconciliation bill. (AP/Getty)
Reconciliation allows the Senate to sidestep the traditional 60-vote threshold in favor of a simple majority if the bill focuses on the budget or other fiscal issues.
Both parties have traditionally used reconciliation to pass broad policy changes in a single bill. But the bill has also passed rigorous scrutiny, with senators tasked with deciding what does and does not concern the nation’s fiscal affairs.
Notably, Democrats previously attempted to use reconciliation to pass a mass amnesty measure, but were blocked.
Republicans could face similar problems if they try to add border security provisions to the bill. They also aim to use the bill to extend President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and pass energy and defense legislation.
Johnson’s decision on Saturday appears to have come after Republicans in Congress were at odds over whether to pass one or two reconciliation bills.
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New Senate Majority Leader John Thune said last year that he wanted two reconciliation bills. (Reuters)
Normally a once-a-year process, Senate Minority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) announced plans last month to split Republican priorities into two bills. One is a border and defense bill, and the other is a bill aimed at preserving the Trump administration. tax policy.
The plan was also supported by President Trump’s top adviser Stephen Miller.
But the push has infuriated Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, who say the two reconciliation bills could be too large a hike and put taxes on the back burner for remaining Republican tax provisions that expire at the end of this year. warned that it could be in jeopardy.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) said on Fox Business Network’s “Morning with Maria” that Congress has passed two reconciliation bills per year since 1997. I pointed out that there was no.
“I’m saying we need a reconciliation bill that includes borders, energy, permits and taxes. If you put all four of those things together, we can make it happen,” Smith said.
House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith sponsored one bill. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
The committee released a memo last month warning that ordinary Americans could see their taxes rise 22% if President Trump’s tax policy expires.
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But other lawmakers pushed back against the idea that the two bills were impossible.
“I think we need to prove to the American people that we can, in fact, protect our borders,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) told Fox News Digital last month. I think we need to protect our borders,” Nanoha said. But I believe taxes are more complex. ”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Thune and Smith’s offices for comment. Mr. Thune’s office responded but declined to comment, and Mr. Smith’s office did not immediately respond.
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, where she leads coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines can be found on the Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow @liz_elkind on Twitter and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.
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